How Far We've Come
by Astrous
Summary: A series of drabbles for Young Justice, mainly Robin-centric. Dick Grayson, not Tim. T just in case, potentially for future chapters. Currently no pairings.
1. Beginning

**A/N: So…it's been awhile. And yeah, I deleted my old story. Why? Because I have zero interest in it, I wrote it 5 years ago, the sequel is never happening…and I've moved on. New fandoms; new things.**

**That being said…Young Justice! I have a few prompts saved from the YJ Anon Meme that I hope to be getting to, but…we'll see. I'm terrible with setting deadlines for myself, and I haven't written anything in years so I'm incredibly rusty. Bear with me; this is kind of a trial thing.**

**This will be a series of drabbles, 30 in total. Pairings will probably be 99.999% gen, although if it's different it'll be stated in the A/N for each one, and I'll be sure to update the description as needed. I'm supposed to write one of these a day, but with work and other things I probably won't. But I'll do my best to try.**

**Also, these will probably be all Robin-centric. Why? Because I love him, and I know him the best.**

**Without further ado, here we go!**

* * *

_**Beginning**_

* * *

_It all happened so fast._

"Excellent, Dick! You've been practicing so much; your form has really improved. One more time?"

I clapped my hands together, dislodging excess chalk and reached for the bar again, swinging effortlessly through the air. After a few motions back and forth, I let go and tucked myself into a ball. One, two, three…on the fourth rotation, I uncurled and reached for the second bar.

The sun was beginning to set. I could see it flashing through a tear in the tent fabric. I had been working for hours, and it was nearly time for the show. This trick, so difficult for others, had become almost second nature to me. It was my family's trick; we prided ourselves on mastering it. And I, at such a young age…

_It all happened so fast._

I missed. The air flew from my lungs as I landed in the practice net, bouncing, eyes wide and staring at the swinging, empty bar. I missed?

"You must be tired. It's been a long day."

I climbed out of the net and walked out of the tent. I had to prepare for the performance tonight. I was hoping to join my parents in the finale.

"Mom?"

"Not tonight, little robin. Maybe next time."

* * *

"You have successfully completed the mission I assigned for you."

I stood straight, completely ignoring the grime and small tears decorating my costume. They were a testament to how hard I had worked to prove myself. I had exceeded his expectations tonight. I knew it. We both knew.

Outside, the sun was beginning to rise. Its rays would be shining through the windows upstairs. No doubt Alfred was already up and fixing this morning's breakfast tea.

"Very well."

My eyes locked on his.

"You may become my partner. What will be your name?"

"Robin."

_It all happened so fast._


	2. Accusation

**A/N: Thanks for the interest, guys. XD Sorry I'm a little behind on these, but hey…you were warned about my inability to keep deadlines.**

**Because I forgot this last time…**

**DISCLAIMER: They're not mine. 'Nuff said.**

* * *

_**Accusation**_

* * *

"Get on board, or get out of the way."

Batman's eyes locked on my determined expression, narrowing as the four of us refused to back down. He waits until we've both taken the zeta tubes back to Gotham and are in the Batmobile, less than five minutes' distance from home, to break the silence.

"It was you, wasn't it." I glance at him through the lenses in my mask before my eyes return to the blurring lights and streets outside the window.

"Excuse me?"

"You hacked the Hall of Justice. You orchestrated this 'mission'."

I remain silent, giving nothing away with my expression. The armored vehicle slips unnoticed into the secret tunnel leading to the Batcave, startling a few stray bats with its headlights. Waiting until he's parked, I unbuckle the seatbelt and smoothly jump out of the passenger's seat. It's as I'm walking away that I catch his next words, too quiet to echo through the cavern.

"I suppose I need to change the passwords then." I couldn't help myself; I snickered as I started up the stairs.

"Don't bother," I call over my shoulder, the words bouncing off the stone walls. "Same system as the Batcave."

An amused smirk appears on his lips just as I disappear around the corner.


	3. Restless

**A/N: Whoops, behind again. But there should be more than one update tomorrow, so that'll make up for it, right?**

**Disclaimer: You know the drill.**

* * *

_**Restless**_

* * *

"You've got to be kidding me."

I stopped typing, turning around to face the doorway behind me. Artemis stood there, arms crossed, leaning against the frame as she frowned.

"I'm sorry?" My eyebrow raised in surprise as I spoke, eyes hidden by my signature shades.

"It's after twelve. Can't it wait?"

"Not really," I replied, smirking at her disbelief. It wasn't often that either of us stayed overnight at Mount Justice, but we'd just returned from a mission about an hour ago, and it was a weekend—M'gann insisted.

"It's the _weekend_," Artemis stressed, walking into the kitchen and pulling open the refrigerator door and rummaging for a drink.

"Did I say this was schoolwork?" Amusement obvious in my voice, I resumed typing, eyes scanning page after page on the screen. I caught the sound of her sigh as she passed behind me, headed back to her room.

"Whatever, birdbrain."

* * *

"You are still here, my friend?"

Again, I turned towards the doorway, my hand straying automatically to check the sunglasses weren't slipping.

"I'm staying for the night Kal, remember?" I smirked reassuringly at the Atlantean.

"I was referring to your presence here, rather than your bed." Our team leader made his way around the side of the couch, stopping in front of me and frowning. "It is late." I glanced at the clock on my laptop screen.

"It's only…two fifteen," I said offhand, looking up and smiling to counter his frown. "I'll be done soon."

"If you are sure," he looked torn for a moment but nodded, putting a hand on my shoulder as he passed. "Get some rest, friend. We have all earned it—including you."

* * *

The sound of shuffling feet alerted me to my next interruption just as I pulled out my notebook, textbook, and a pencil, intent on finishing my math homework sooner rather than later. I had moved to the other end of the couch, my laptop sitting on the cushion in my previous spot, so I simply glanced up as Wally appeared and made a beeline for the kitchen. He was rubbing his face, clearly exhausted, but unable to ignore his usual routine of having a midnight snack. I hid a yawn behind my free hand and continued working, writing at a near-constant pace.

"Doo, 'r yu suhrs?" Wally paused at the edge of the kitchen countertop, his mouth stuffed with some sort of food I didn't bother attempting to identify.

"Don't talk with your mouth full; you'll choke," I replied, not looking up from the problem I was currently working on. "And yes. This should be nothing new for you." He swallowed before speaking again.

"Man, it's almost four a-m!" I paused, glancing at the clock momentarily and moving on to the next problem.

"Keep your voice down, everyone's sleeping, and—"

"And you should be too." He frowned.

"And _besides_," I continued, ignoring the interruption. "I'm almost done."

"That looks like homework." Wally walked closer, eyes narrowing at the textbook. "Things to do this weekend?" I nodded, turning a few pages. He sighed, knowing I was trying to make the most of my time. "Just…get some sleep, okay?" He frowned as I stifled another yawn. "You need it." I waved him off and he disappeared down the hallway back to his bed now that his appetite was quieted for another few hours.

* * *

Not too long after Wally left, I found myself losing concentration and fading fast. The mission earlier that night was starting to take its toll. My eyes were growing heavy, and I pushed up my shades to rub at them before lowering them and continuing.

_Just a few more pages…come on, Dick, you have work to do. Get traught._

* * *

Miss Martian was the first one awake the next morning, rising early and going to make breakfast for her friends. She hummed quietly as she floated herself to the kitchen, debating between recipes to try. Touching down in front of the refrigerator, she began pulling ingredients out of the shelves and cabinets with her mind. She paused, frowning to herself as she felt another presence nearby. Scanning the room, her eyes land on Robin, fast asleep on the couch with his laptop at his feet, papers splayed out on the floor and an open notebook trapped under his hand.

"Morning, beautifu-!"

"Shh!" She put a finger to her lips as Wally appeared in the doorway, gesturing to the couch. He turned and, upon seeing the Boy Wonder, a smirk spread across his face.

"About time he got some sleep," he said, keeping voice hushed as he walked over to the couch. Wally placed his hands on the back, scanning Robin's relaxed face.

"Too bad I'm about to ruin it." In one swift movement he jumped, swinging himself over and landing on top of the Gothamite, waking him immediately. "Rise and shine, sleepyhead!"

"_Wally_!"


	4. Snowflake

**A/N: You guys are great for reading but…there's 114 of you that read the last chapter. Almost 400 readers total. And only two reviews? Tell me I'm doing something right at least, before I start doubting myself and just take it all down. This is writing practice for me; how am I going to improve if I don't know I'm doing something wrong?**

**On that note…on to the next drabble.**

**DISCLAIMER: Should be obvious by now.**

* * *

_**Snowflake**_

* * *

"_In celebrity news, Bruce Wayne was seen attending an award ceremony at the prestigious Gotham Academy yesterday evening. His young ward Richard Grayson is a student at the Academy, and the teen heartthrob won a mathlete honoree award for the second year in a row. Vicky has more details on the ceremony, Grayson and others at—"_

I leaned against the wall, holding the remote and watching as Wally turned around to protest.

"Dude, I was watching that!"

"Why? You don't even live in Gotham." I switched the television over to the Wii menu, walking over to the table, setting down the remote and picking up two controllers. I tossed one to the redhead who caught it immediately, navigating to the Mario Kart starter screen and scrolling through the options as I let myself fall back on the couch next to him.

"So?" I selected my character and began the first race as Wally replied. Already in first place, I was determined to hold my lead.

"So you have no reason to pay attention to our newscasts," I answered, keying in the commands to throw a shell behind me.

"Hey!" He steered around it, in second place and hot on my heels. "Maybe I was keeping up with it because my best bro lives there." He dropped a banana peel behind his car, driving up a jump and gaining a speed boost. "I wanted to know what baddies were running around playing hide and seek with you at all hours of the night." I rolled my eyes, hidden by my sunglasses, and skidded around a turn.

"The _celebrity _news?" A few minutes passed between us with nothing but the sound of the controller buttons clicking under our fingers. I rounded the final turn.

"Another award, huh, mathlete?" A pause.

"…Maybe." I was almost at the finish line, my eyes on the screen. Wally glanced at me quickly as he hit one final button.

"Well," he grinned, amusement clear as a blue shell exploded on my car and his character blew past me. "Aren't _you _a special snowflake?"

"Dude!" I shoved him off the couch as he burst out laughing. "That is _so _not astrous!"


	5. Haze

**A/N: …Huh. Well. Guess I just need to say I'll take it down to get some sort of response? I really do appreciate the reviews, so thank you. Please keep reading and reviewing! Also, I'm sorry for getting so far behind—I have three more to write before I'm caught up so I'll hopefully knock out two tomorrow and then just have two to go.**

**DISCLAIMER: Drabbles are mine. Characters are not.**

* * *

_**Haze**_

* * *

She's a mess.

_Gotham._

Dark. Sinister. Full of the corrupt and the hidden. Her air was thick with the fear and paranoia its citizens relied on to keep themselves safe; sometimes even that wasn't enough. More often than not, her shadows held nothing but the stuff of nightmares. No wonder Scarecrow liked it here.

If you were particularly unlucky, you'd find yourself trapped by one of the worst criminals on the planet, freshly broken out of prison or Arkham. Gotham's insane were well-known by all.

Clogged during the day, her streets were anything but quiet once night fell. The sirens were almost constant, interrupted only by gunshots, the meaty thud of a knife burying itself in flesh, perhaps a choked scream. The sound of batarangs whizzing through the air could only be in one place at one time, after all, and war on her crime rate was a losing battle.

However, it was not one that we would willingly give up.

And up here, perched on a gargoyle at the very top of Wayne Tower, well above Gotham's constant haze of fear and smog…up here, some of the brightest stars are barely visible, not quite drowned out by the city's twinkling and flashing lights. Up here, the sirens are almost out of earshot, masked by the chilled night breeze and the gentle flapping of my cape.

Up here, I can see exactly what makes her so worth protecting.


	6. Flame

**A/N: Er….hi. Sorry about that giant absence there. The operating system on my laptop crashed, and I actually ended up having to wipe everything and reload, so I lost a lot of my programs, and just about all of my favorites. Then my job got in the way, and then school started…job ended, and now I have to try and land job number two…**

**I'm still writing; or at least trying to when I can. And it's been pretty obvious that I can't work to a deadline. BUT. I will finish this….eventually. Slowly but surely. I will.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Young Justice.**

* * *

_**Flame**_

* * *

"Can you tell us about how you got started, Robin?"

I abruptly fell silent as Wally laughed, shaking his head at M'gann's question.

"Are you kidding me? Bats won't even let him tell you his real name!"

The crackling fire reflected brightly off the sunglasses keeping my eyes hidden from the group as we sat around the flames. The sun had set hours ago, but still they remained, protecting my identity from even my teammates.

I frowned and closed my eyes; the martian's question had sparked memories that I didn't necessarily want to be remembering. Not here; not now. The scent of toasted marshmallow smelled awfully similar to fresh caramel popcorn...and if I listened close enough, the snapping fire sounded almost like the claps of a crowd. Images danced across the back of my eyelids, snippets of my memories forcing their way to the front of my mind as my head bowed. Vaguely, I was aware of the conversations continuing on without me.

The firelight burned through my eyelids, flashing like the spotlight as it bathed the five of us in light high above the crowds. The slight breeze coming off the ocean ruffled my hair, a reminder of the flipping, falling, flying sensations that came with our trapeze act.

A particularly loud crack from the logs had me tensing, my mind warping and twisting the sound into the snap of a wire.

Fear. Pain. Shock.

Silence.

_Screaming_.

The memories slowly faded against my eyelids, and I shook my head lightly to dispel the remaining thoughts as my eyes opened to stare at my lap. I was Robin now; I couldn't be living in Dick's memories. I had to keep it together, especially around the team.

_Never let anyone see your weakness._

One of Batman's most important rules.

_Your weakness can destroy you._

I'm a hero; one of Gotham's protectors. I can't afford to have a weakness. I have everything to prove, and I can handle this. I straightened my spine out, strengthening my mask and lifting my eyes back towards the flames.


	7. Formal

**A/N: Look at me, writing two days in a row!**

**Thanks for the reads and reviews guys, I really appreciate it.**

**Taking a moment for a review reply here:**

_**Yuna Kimitachi—**_**Thank you very much for your kind words! However, there isn't quite a….plotline to follow? My thinking when writing these is exactly as you said—they're random moments; snapshots in time of Robin from his very beginning and following his experiences with Young Justice. While they do adhere to a timeline (I'm trying to keep the events in chronological order), hopefully when I'm done, I've shown some growth and change in his character.**

**And onwards to another drabble! :) **

**Disclaimer: Characters are not mine.**

* * *

_**Formal**_

* * *

"Mr. Wayne! Mr. Wayne, over here please!"

"Richard, a few questions if you will?"

"Mr. Grayson; Richard!"

"Bruce!"

The cameras began flashing even before we'd stepped out of the car, our bright smiles already in place like the masks we donned so frequently.

"Not tonight, I'm sorry," Bruce smiled, his hand falling on my shoulder as we walked through the crowd of reporters. "We have a fundraiser to get to." I nodded cheerily, my expression carefully hiding my reluctance. I understand the need for secret identities and a strong cover, but hiding in plain sight sure did get exhausting.

_Maybe tonight we can make it a little more 'hausting_.

My smile grew more genuine as I recalled the last event we'd attended. Wayne Tech had been hosting a banquet to mark the beginning of the school year and hand out the Wayne Scholarships. Considering Gotham Academy is run by some of the oldest and richest families in the city, the banquet had been as boring and drab as the uniforms the students were required to wear while attending. Fortunately, it had been cut short when the GCPD received notice of a bomb threat at the bank across the street. Bruce and I could leave, and Batman and Robin could come out to play.

No such luck for tonight, it seemed. Usually Commissioner Gordon and Babs would show up for at least a few hours, but her gymnastics practice ran late on Thursday nights, and her dad didn't want her out 'partying' on school nights. I stifled a sigh as I watched Bruce from the edge of the stage, thanking all the attendees for their generous donations and the like. I knew beneath his oblivious and smiling façade, he was just as bored with these social functions as I.

Minutes dragged on into hours while we mingled, carefully working the room in tandem and greeting everyone with smiles and recognition—mostly faked, on my part. Still, I was a performer at heart, and acting was as natural as breathing.

In a few stolen moments of solitude, I retreated to the corner of the room, tucked away in a small alcove as I ran another hand over my hair, sighing. My face was beginning to hurt from smiling so much.

"We should be able to leave in about an hour or so." I didn't flinch, having been aware of Bruce's approach long before he spoke.

_Always be aware of your surroundings. Never let your guard down._ Even here, my training was a constant mantra echoing in my head.

I nodded, turning to offer him a small but genuine smile as he reached out and adjusted my tie. The crowd suddenly seemed much louder and I leaned to peer around Bruce, curious. _Maybe we'll catch a break tonight after all._

"George, what are you-"

"Sir, please-"

"Nonsense! This is exactly where I should be!"

A splash filled the room as the man, obviously inebriated, proceeded to jump into the decorative fountain in the middle of the banquet hall. His wife pushed her way through the crowd and reached out to him, trying desperately to calm him and pull him from the water.

"I am the kraken, hear me roar!" Her embarrassed blush darkened and she grabbed his hands, tugging fruitlessly.

"George, _please_, people are staring!"

"I thought the refreshments were strictly non-alcoholic this evening?" I quirked an eyebrow, glancing at Bruce with an amused smirk. He grinned, eyes on the spectacle.

"Evidently, someone didn't get the memo." Waiters rushed around the fountain with towels at the woman yelled in surprise, her husband yanking her off balance and into the water as he declared her to be the sea queen. He melted into the crowd, my eyes following him vaguely as I stepped forward myself and headed for the door. The fundraiser would be ending early tonight, it seemed.

My eyes narrowed in suspicion as Bruce stopped one of the waiters, taking a glass from him and smiling, nodding towards the fountain. He shook the young man's hand, looking for all the world like an innocent 'thank you' for his service. I smirked, crossing my arms as the waiter's hand pulled back and disappeared into his pocket.

"Ready to go?" I nodded as Bruce reappeared at my side, that same hand falling to my shoulder to steer me through the door, the chaos behind us ensuring that Batman and Robin would have time to patrol tonight after all.

_And he questions _my_ maturity level._


	8. Companion

**A/N: I'm on a roll here, wow. I think it's the weather; autumn always makes me want to write.**

**Thank you for reading, as always, and please leave reviews on what you liked/didn't like so I can adjust accordingly.**

**Disclaimer: Not my characters.**

* * *

_**Companion**_

* * *

"…and this?"

"Non-explosive Batarang."

"What about these?"

"Smoke pellets."

"This too?"

"No, those are knockout gas. Don't drop them."

Wally was sitting cross-legged on the end of my bed at Mount Justice, keeping me company as I cleaned out and restocked my utility belt. However, he also took this as permission to poke and question everything I had taken out of the yellow pockets. I'd given up trying to ignore him after the fifth time he came within milliseconds of injuring himself; after promising he would point rather than attempting to touch, I agreed to answer his questions.

A small cloth was threaded between my fingers as they rubbed in methodical circles, polishing and triple-checking each weapon or tool for problems.

"What's this?"

I ignored him as he completely disregarded the _no touching _rule and reached toward my belt, laid out on the bed alongside me. However, a small glint of red caught my eye and my head snapped up as Wally sat back with the object in his hand, holding it out in front of him to examine it. I dropped the cloth and birdarang I was polishing, my calm mask slipping for a minute and anxiety leaking into my voice.

"Give it back!"

"What…_is _it?" Wally's head cocked to the side as he stared at the tiny figure, hand closing into a fist as I made a grab for it.

"It's _mine,_" I glared over the top of my glasses, now slipping down my nose at my sudden lunge forward. "Now give it back." His only movement was to roll his eyes and reopen his hand.

"Well, _duh_," he replied as I snatched it back. "Of course it's yours; it was in your belt."

"Remember that _no touching_ rule?" I ignore him, cupping my hand around the figure and inspecting it for damage.

"Is it from the circus?" Wally asked abruptly, waving a hand in response to my annoyance. I sighed, finding it still in pristine condition, and nodded once. No avoiding the questions now.

"…Yeah," My eyes automatically scanned the room, reaffirming for the hundredth time that we were alone. I opened my palm, letting the light reflect and bounce off the crystalline figure, turning my hand slowly as Wally watched.

"So then…what is it? A reminder?" His questions were hesitant; I appreciated that. He didn't want to pry, but Wally was still Wally.

"It's a good luck charm." I looked away, embarrassed, passing it to him carefully and picking up my birdarang and cloth once more. I glanced up from my work every once in awhile, a soft smile making itself onto my lips as I watched Wally turn it every which way. The figure was a bright red crystal, carved into the shape of an elephant with its trunk raised. It was barely the size of a penny. "Red for luck," I continued, putting down the birdarang and reaching for the stack of batarangs next.

"Does the elephant mean anything?" Wally's curiosity was never-ending. "Or is it just because you like them so much?" He grinned as I rolled my eyes.

"Both," I conceded as he handed me the charm. "Elephants are for longevity. Long life." I smiled in return. "Plus, I like her."

"Does she have a name?" I tucked the elephant back into its space in my belt.

"Zitka."


	9. Move

**A/N: Whelp, I knew I would forget to update at some point. Sorry about that. Thank you for your reviews!**

**Please keep reading and giving me feedback; I appreciate it!**

**This one's not my best, but I couldn't decide which way I wanted to go with it. I apologize in advance.**

**DISCLAIMER: You know already.**

* * *

_**Move**_

* * *

A chain reaction.

That's all it was.

Don't act; react. Watch your opponent, anticipate everything, and above all, always be prepared.

Expect the unexpected, and all that.

Training with Batman really wasn't as intimidating as everyone made it seem. Underneath the Kevlar and the cape, he's just as human as I am.

Granted, most of my training time wasn't necessarily fighting him. A lot of it involved things like meditation, bomb diffusion; a strategy test that was basically a huge game of extreme hide and seek. It varied depending on the night.

Some nights, I worked with a simulation. Others, the team. Sometimes both; sometimes neither. Training had become a form of meditation for me. The quickest way to escape was to just focus on my breathing, the feeling of the air whipping past my limbs, and the chalk coating my palms. I always seemed to have energy to train.

The nights spent at Mount Justice weren't necessarily my favorites. At least at the Batcave, I had a net and rope setup to practice my flips and jumps. Here, I was confined to the beam, uneven bars, or the rings. Still, I made do with what I had.

Everyone else had long since gone to sleep, deciding to just crash at the mountain since the mission had been long and it was a weekend anyway. I lasted all of about fifteen minutes lying in bed before I knew I wasn't getting to sleep anytime soon. I needed to move, to sort out my thoughts.

Rising silently, I tugged on my familiar black training pants and white tank top, pressing a domino mask to my face and slipping out the door. A few moments later I was flicking on the lights in one of the training rooms, walking onto the floor mats and stretching quickly. I was itching to move. As soon as I was done I stood, my arms hanging loosely at my sides, head bowed slightly as my eyes fell shut. I took a deep breath, visualizing the routine I wanted to work through and picturing each of the transitions before nodding once and raising my arms. Opening my eyes, I began.

Throwing punches and darting back, spinning to throw out a high kick before falling back seamlessly into a handspring, I moved without stopping, my limbs flexing and responding like a well-oiled machine.

Change directions.

Punch.

Flip.

Kick.

Roll.

Slide.

Turn.

My muscled flowed through the routine seamlessly, constantly changing from one motion to the next. My awareness of time faded, vision sliding out of focus as I simply _breathed_, my body relaxing even as I twisted and spun at nearly impossible angles. The pace never letting up, I backflipped and pushed harder than before, gaining some extra height. My hands snapped out to catch the higher bar, swinging my body around and keeping my momentum going even as I dropped one hand to change directions.

I could feel the restlessness fading, the stress being carried away on the breeze generated by my motion. Gradually I slowed, bringing myself to a complete stop, my arms pin straight and holding the rest of my body perfectly vertical above the bar. Gritting my teeth, my eyebrows knitting together but my form held, completely oblivious to the sweat rolling down my arms and dripping from my bangs.

I gave a quick exhale, letting my arms drop and rotating my body around the bar once, twice, three times. Suddenly I let go, twisting to somersault through the air twice and landing in a crouch, one hand up for balance. I sighed with relief, a slow smile appearing on my face while I straightened and pushed my hands through my hair.

Picking up my towel from the bench, I switched the lights off and drained my water bottle on my walk back to my room.

Maybe now, I could finally get some sleep.

...after a shower.


	10. Silver

**A/N: I swear I didn't forget about this. Time just has a funny way of getting away from me…**

**Anyway! Please don't forget to leave a review.**

**DISCLAIMER: Not mine.**

* * *

_**Silver**_

* * *

The five of us stood in front of Batman for a debriefing at the center of Mount Justice, having just returned from Santa Prisca. Kobra was trafficking his Venom again, and Bane apparently tried to get involved. We'd been sent in for covert operations, but _covert_ is a nonexistent thing whenever Wally is involved. I snuck a quick glance at him and rolled my eyes. Still, the mission was a success, and we finally decided on a leader.

Aqualad. Not myself, as I had been expecting. Being the first meant I had more experience than them all; I was more than capable as a hero. But this team thing? I had grown accustomed to working with one person, one partner. Suddenly, I had four.

_Make new friends, but keep the old…_

My lips twitched downward into a frown as we were dismissed. Turning away from the group, I walked slowly through the hallway to the room I had been given, pausing only to wait for the door to slide open and shut behind me. Unclasping my cape and hanging it over the desk chair, I stripped off my costume quickly, replacing it with my favorite green hoodie and jacket. My mask peeled off next, making sure no spirit gum residue remained before I slipped my sunglasses over my eyes, sighing at the necessary darkness.

Batman gave us a chance-forming the team, even going so far as to recruit new members like Miss Martian last week. He knows what all of us are capable of, he sees their potential as heroes…as well as mine. He didn't seem surprised that I wasn't elected as leader, either. _I'm not good enough…I know more about this than any of them, and I'm still not good enough._ A puff of air escaped my lips, fingers automatically threading through my hair in frustration. This shouldn't be so difficult; we're all well-versed in the basics, at least. And yet…I couldn't predict their moves, and they couldn't predict mine. I was beginning to see precisely how well Batman and I worked together, a stark contrast to my performance with the team lately.

Suddenly an arm looped around my shoulders, shaking me playfully and snapping me out of my thoughts. Apparently, I'd wandered out of my room and headed for the zeta beam while I thought, subconsciously directing myself to get back to the Manor. Maybe I could train with the simulations, or something. Update the programming to allow more than one ally.

"Dude, where are you going?" Wally's voice was loud in my ear, his arm still tight around my shoulders. I rolled my eyes and shoved him away gently, readjusting my jacket.

"Back to the Batcave. I have a program I wanted to test out." He shook his head even before I finished speaking, grabbing my sleeve and tugging me in the opposite direction of the zetas, towards the living room and kitchen.

"Wrong answer." M'gann looked up from her cookbook and bowl of batter to smile at me cheerfully as Wally pulled me into the room, letting go of my sleeve to drop himself onto the nearest couch. "We're having a movie night. Complete with some homemade snackage—isn't that right, Beautiful?" His head tipped backwards, catching M'gann's eye as her smile widened.

"I do want to try out some of these recipes from _He—_ah, this cookbook I found!" A movie night…? I looked around—Kaldur in one of the chairs, watching Wally's failed attempts at flirting with amusement. Conner, arms crossed and quietly brooding on the couch opposite from Wally.

"Are you able to stay, or do you need to return to Gotham?" I brought my gaze back to our new leader, a slow smirk forming on my lips as I shook my head and walked over behind the couch Wally had claimed. Flicking his forehead playfully, I snickered at his surprised yelp, putting one hand on the back of the couch and vaulting over it to land with a bounce on the free cushion.

"Nah," I pulled out my phone, sending a quick text to Batman that I would be home late, "I can stay."

_One is silver and the other's gold…_


	11. Prepared

**A/N: Thanks for still reading, and all the favorites! I really do appreciate it. And welcome to my new readers! I'm still slowly chipping away at this list of prompts.**

**This one is probably going to be a little longer than most, and is kind of similar to a prompt I came across on the YJAM, although I can't recall if it was ever filled. If not…consider this a fill?**

**I'm not completely pleased with it, but I don't really see myself improving it any more if I rewrite it yet again, so…**

**Danni-Phantom13: I know you suggested more Daddy!Bats, but the prompt list I'm working from doesn't quite call for it…yet. I do have some planned though, I promise!**

**Prompt: Prepared (Five times Robin had something randomly useful in his belt, and the one time Batman had what Robin didn't)**

* * *

_**Prepared**_

* * *

Everything was a blur of motion and sound. We needed to get out and fast, before this became a full-blown mess. _Talk about in over our heads_. I guess I've learned not to hack the Hall of Justice computers anymore…even if it is the same system as the Batcave.

I watched as Wally, Kaldur, and our new friend Superboy all failed in their attacks against this Venom-hyped behemoth. Electricity, speed, strength. All of us weren't doing anything but making him more pissed off. I took a second to crouch behind a pillar, tapping my glove to activate the embedded computer and starting to track his movements. The scientist was barely recognizable, his attacks fueled by desperation and rage. One of the pillars shook as he punched Aqualad repeatedly, the ceiling beginning to collapse and chunks of debris falling toward us.

_Pillars…support beams…maybe…?_

"Of course!"

Typing quickly, I pulled up the blueprints of the building over the hidden C.A.D.M.U.S. lab. If we knocked out enough of the beams, and in the right direction, then maybe…

"KF, get over here!" He ran to my side, full-speed as the pillar broke, Superboy and Aqualad continuing to attack the Venom-pumped monster. We shared a glance as the ceiling groaned.

"Got it?"

"Got it!"

He took off again, distracting him as I called to the others, showing them the hologram and pointing out the other weaknesses. Working together, they managed to keep him occupied while I pulled chalk from my belt, drawing a large X on the ground to mark out where we needed him for the collapse. Luring him to the center, Kid Flash skidded out of the way just as the former scientist yelled and stepped onto the water covering the markings. Aqualad sent electricity coursing through the puddle, and I activated the timers in the explosive birdarangs I'd thrown into the remaining pillars.

Rushing together, the four of us outran the collapsing walls as far as we could before we crouched, huddled on the ground with our arms over our heads. The lab collapsed around us, a huge pile of rubble and smoke.

In the first few seconds of silence, once we were sure everything had settled, KF sent me a curious glance.

"Dude…you carry _chalk_?" I rolled my eyes, not bothering to reply as Superboy shoved a large slab of the former ceiling off of us, freeing us from the rubble.

* * *

_/Recognized: Robin B01/_

A quiet humming echoed down the hallway as I stepped out of the zeta beams. Everything was quiet; nobody was on the training floor. _Must be not be here yet._ I headed for the source of the humming, my cape billowing out behind me gently. I noted the empty living room, catching sight of M'gann hovering a few different ingredients onto the countertop, stirring a bowl full of her newest baking attempt as she hummed. She set the bowl down on the counter as I walked over and hopping up onto one of the stools.

"Robin!"

"Hey, M'gann. What are you making?" I smiled back at the martian, glancing over all the ingredients and trying to guess the answer before she spoke.

"Cookies!" I nodded, having guessed correctly. "The others aren't here yet, and I had some time before training began, so…" her voice trailed off, and I glanced up to catch her frown as her eyes swept over the supplies she'd laid out.

"Something wrong?"

"Oh nothing important," she smiled reassuringly. "I can't seem to find my little measuring cup is all." I reached into my belt, grinning as I passed her a 1/8 measuring cup.

"Will that work?"

"I—yes, but how-?" Her puzzled gaze followed me as I stood and stretched, heading back toward the doorway.

"They're useful for evidence collection sometimes. I promise, it's clean." I turned away and continued down the hallway, intent on getting through some homework before the others showed up. "Comm me when the others get here!"

* * *

_Snap._

"Agh, no way!"

The angry exclamation and preceding elastic sound echoed out of the target range, and I stopped in surprise as I reached the doorway. There was only one other person who spent as much free time here as I did, and she was currently attempting to beat my accuracy record. I smirked as I walked over to one of the benches lining the wall, setting down a small bag and fishing out my birdarangs carefully.

"Something wrong, 'Mis?" I inspected each weapon, double-checking that none of them were explosives so they could be reused later. Glancing at the archer as she walked over toward the wall, I caught her dismayed expression just before she pressed the button to bring the targets in close. She walked along them in a line, pulling out her arrows as she spoke.

"My bowstring," she held up the bow in one hand while she collected arrows, "I was _this close_ to destroying that accuracy record and it snapped on me." I snickered at the mention of my record, but chose to stick to the subject for now.

"You don't carry a spare?" She shook her head as she joined me at the bench, laying out her arrows and pulling off the broken string from the pulleys.

"Nah, had to replace it last week after patrol with Ollie." The disappointment was clear in her tone. "I haven't been able to pick up a spare yet." I grinned, rifling through my belt for a moment before holding my hand out toward her. My smile only widened as she caught sight of the coiled, fresh bowstring as I dropped it into her hand, confused written plainly on her face.

"What—"

"They make pretty decent tripwires, sometimes." I stood, walking over toward the keypad on the wall and hovering my hand over the commands to set the targets through their pre-programmed movements. "Now, about that record…"

* * *

I vaulted over the back of the couch easily, landing with a bounce next to Superboy as he scowled.

"Hey, Con, how's it going?" He crossed his arms, intense stare directed toward me instead of the ground. My eyebrows twitched upwards at his expression. "Woah, who put the dis in your aster?"

"My head," he frowned. "Noisy." I tilted my head thoughtfully at that, my own arms mimicking his and folding across my chest.

"Noisy thoughts or noisy sounds?" He glanced at me, curiosity flickering through his eyes.

"Sounds…why?" I grinned, uncrossing my arms and holding up a finger as my other hand flew to my belt.

"Try these." I held out my palm, cupping it slightly to prevent the two small objects from rolling away. He picked them up gingerly, turning them around and examining them. "I usually have a pair or two if I know I'm going to be heading into a firefight. They're also great for working with explosives." Conner nodded in understanding, twisting first one and then the other into each ear.

"How is it now? Hear anything?" He simply smiled.

* * *

"Run through it again." Kaldur sat across from me, diagrams and countless files spread out on the table between us. He scratched at his arm absentmindedly as I groaned, letting my head hit the table with a dull thud.

"Kal, I've memorized it backwards, forwards, and sideways. I think I'm good." He frowned, rubbing the spot he'd just scratched before pushing a case file towards me.

"You'd forgotten the timer on the bomb in the last scenario." I sighed, picking my head up and dragging the file closer.

"I didn't _forget_, I was just off by ten seconds." I skimmed through the pages again, reading all of the information I'd already memorized.

"Ten seconds that could cost you the mission." The Atlantian was still for less than a minute before he was back to scratching, this time at his opposite arm. I frowned thoughtfully; he probably didn't even notice.

"Are you okay?" He stopped abruptly, raising his head to glance over my confused expression.

"I am fine; why do you ask?" I gestured at his arm, where his fingers were still unconsciously itching. "It is nothing." My eyes rolled behind my glasses and I tugged my utility belt out of my sleeve, searching for a specific pouch and pulling out a small container to throw at him. He caught the tiny bottle deftly with one hand, twisting it to search for a label.

"Lotion." I picked up my pencil again, erasing a few numbers on the page and correcting them. "It helps with dry skin." He raised an eyebrow.

"You have dry skin?" I laughed, shaking my head.

"It also happens to be great for loosening restraints and healing skin tears from my acrobatics training." Slowly, the Atlantian smiled, uncapping the bottle and pouring some onto his hands.

"Thank you. Now…about those plans…"

* * *

It was supposed to be a simple mission.

_Yeah, because **that's** not the most cliché sentence in existence when it comes to the team_. One thing led to another, and covert recon became ambush became captured and in need of rescue. Currently we were dangling above a large tank in the middle of the aquarium we were supposed to be protecting from break-ins, the chains dangling in neat lines from the ceiling and holding each of us aloft over a different area of the water. Our captors were in a side room, discussing what to do with their hostages. Regardless of what they decided on, it didn't change the fact that the team was facing imminent death of the aquatic variety, due to the shark infested waters below.

"We can't wait for them to make a decision." Aqualad was the only one with a shot at surviving the tank, aside from maybe Superboy. Then again, he wasn't full Kryptonian; his human genes would give him some form of vulnerability despite his strength. I nodded in agreement with his words, not bothering to spare time for a reply. I hadn't stopped twisting and wriggling in my chains since the thugs had moved into the other room. They made one huge mistake, a mistake that Kid Flash noticed before any of the others.

"Dude," he swung lightly, having given up his own attempts at breaking free. "Your belt!" Five heads swiveled towards me, suddenly attentive.

"I know," I grunted, slowly loosening the chains enough to twist an arm free. They tightened to make up for the slack almost immediately, and I reached up to pull my weight onto my free hand, loosening the rings of chain around my torso and other arm.

"Do you have anything in there that could get us out of this mess?"

"Chains? Yes. But that water—"

"HEY!" My words cut off abruptly; one of the thugs had appeared to check on us and spotted my in-progress escape. He stormed over to the lever mechanism keeping our restraints held above the water. _Uh-oh._ "If you're so eager to go swimming with the fishes, why didn't you just say so?" He grinned darkly, yanking the lever controlling the pulley over my head. Before I could even react, I was suddenly plummeting into the water.

"_ROBIN!"_

My brain kicked into overdrive, knowing the splash would only draw the attention of the sharks. I had maybe minutes. Thrashing and twisting against the chains, I managed to work my arms free, patting at my utility belt and trying to find something I could use that would help. My eyes opened, sealed from the water by my mask, and I released a muffled yell as I came face to face with a huge tiger shark. Bubbles streamed from my mouth until I snapped it shut, saving my breath. A muffled clattering reached my ears from outside the tank, and suddenly, I froze.

With a sudden _plunk_, a silver canister floated down between myself and the shark, fizzing gently as it released its contents into the water. The shark backpedaled immediately, his friends keeping as far away from me as possible. Grinning with relief, I swam up and over to the side of the tank, finally breaking the surface, gasping and holding the edge tightly.

"Robin!" Miss Martian and the rest of the team were standing on the side of the tank, wearing various expressions of relief while Batman tugged the remainder of the chains from around Kid Flash's arms. Without waiting for a reply, Miss M's eyes glowed and she floated me out of the water and over to the group. I laughed as I was deposited on the ground, looking up and spotting the shattered glass skylight where Batman must have made his entrance.

"Thanks, Miss M." I nodded to my mentor as well, silently thankful for the rescue.

"Dude, what was that stuff? I thought you were going to be eaten alive!" KF zipped over to me, wanting to see for his own eyes that I was still in one piece.

"Bat Shark Repellant," Batman and I answered simultaneously. I snickered at the bewildered expressions of my teammates.

"I don't usually carry it," I explained. Batman held out a hand, pulling me to my feet after he saw that I was alright. He frowned, glancing at my belt.

"But perhaps you should."


	12. Knowledge

**A/N: One of these days I'll get the hang of this time management thing. Sorry for the long wait; life kind of took a few unexpected turns and threw me for plenty of loops. School has started back up again too, and I run a small Etsy business when I can to try and keep my bank account out of the red….Anyway, enough with the excuses.**

**Thanks so much for the new favorites, follows, and reviews. I really do appreciate it, even though I didn't get a chance to sit down and write until now. This one's a little short, but I do have more planned and I'm hoping to get back into writing regularly.**

**Don't give up on me, and be sure to review this time too!**

* * *

_**Knowledge**_

* * *

_No no no no no!_

Superboy had jumped from the Bioship not long ago, and the FOG was in the process of eating its way into the Wayne Tech building.

"I have to do something…" Superboy didn't even know how important this place was. To him, it was just another target, like STAR Labs; a soon-to-be-demolished company. Giving up my seat I set the Bioship to autopilot before jumping out myself, grappling hook at the ready. _**Please **__don't let me be too late!_

-

"_Hey_! You can't be in here—"

"_Wayne Tech Override RG-4_!" I didn't even slow down as I rolled under the falling gate and back to my feet.

-

"…So."

I sat in the passenger's side of the Batmobile, watching the lights flash by as Batman weaved through the Gotham streets. It was late—nothing new—but the team had been debriefed, and the mission was more or less a success. As he spoke, I tilted my head slightly, showing I'd heard him.

" '_Wayne Tech Override RG-4'_?"

The shift in my posture was subtle, but I knew he'd caught it. Batman doesn't miss anything.

"I had to—"

"I didn't think I needed to tell you to be careful anymore." I frowned at the accusation. _Is he seriously going to start doubting me?_

"But—"

"_Secret_ identity." I could feel his gaze on me even through the cowl. "_**Secret**_."

"But Bruce, it was Wayne Tech!" I couldn't help but defend my actions.

"Precisely." His tone left no room for arguments. "How would you explain having your own access code to Wayne facilities?"

"I…hacked it?" I sighed, shaking my head in defeat. Even I could hear the uncertainty in my voice. I turned to look out the window just as we pulled into the hidden drive concealing the Batcave's entrance.

"Secret identities." I glared at the waterfall as he drove through, my chin resting on my palm as I huffed in annoyance.

"Right, yeah, I get it._ Secret_." _You're __**welcome**_.


End file.
